Watch Eater a Short Film from Stranger Things Creators, The Duffer Brothers

Long before Netflix came knocking at their door for a sequel to their hit show, Stranger Things, The Duffer Brothers were college students attending Chapman University together and collaborating on their senior thesis, a short film entitled Eater, based on a short story by Peter Crowther.

image via Netflix

Creepy Similarities

The story follows a rookie cop working a night shift at a jail as he slowly realizes their newest inmate, a cannibal, has broken loose.

The similarities between Stranger Things and Eater are numerous if superficial. Both feature blue-collar law enforcement protagonists, both make use of strange transitions and cuts, and both dabble with the soundtrack in interesting ways. The opening credits rock too.

Put aside the very strange audio-syncing and dubbing issues, the terrible workplace environment, and the all-too-short nature of this short – and you have a pretty intense student project.